Web developers will have to get on board as well, or at least embrace services like Account Chooser, which would let larger services like Facebook or Google act as a master login for smaller sites. Otherwise, we'll still have to remember a whole lot of passwords for sites that don't except hardware-based authentication.
Google's not the only tech giant that's interested in replacing the password. Last year, Apple bought AuthenTec, a fingerprint scanner firm, leading to rumors that future iPhones could have fingerprint sensors built into their home buttons.
The idea of killing the password became a popular notion last year, after a clever hacker managed to wipe out the digital life of Wired reporter Mat Honan. In a sense, it was a wake-up call, but given how often major websites get hacked, a better solution now seems long overdue. Hardware solutions from the world's major tech players could be just what we need.
